Written questions by Rosindell.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for banning the trade of primates as pets in the UK.

The Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024 was signed into law on 5 March 2024 and will prohibit the keeping of primates as pets in England without a specialist license, improving the welfare of potentially thousands of animals. The legislation sets strict rules to ensure that only private keepers who can provide zoo-level welfare standards will be able to keep primates and will come into force on 6 April 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing labelling on animal products that will inform consumers of (a) how that animal was kept and (b) how that animal was killed.

The Government recognises the strong public interest in clearer animal welfare information on the food they buy. A consultation on proposals to improve and extend current mandatory method of production labelling, was undertaken by the previous Government. We are now carefully considering all responses before deciding on next steps and will respond to this consultation in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will amend the law on dangerous dogs attacking cats to hold owners responsible.

It is an offence under section 3(1) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control. Any dog that is dangerously out of control can be euthanised and their owners put in prison for up to 14 years and be banned from ever owning a dog.  The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance indicates dog attacks on other animals may amount to a dog being dangerously out of control, not least because of the risk to its owner should they seek to intervene in the attack on their animal.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will introduce legislation to ban the sale of bagged peat compost.

I refer the hon. Member to the response given to PQ 4272 on 12 September 2024.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the importation of deliberately mutilated cats.

The Government recently announced its support for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, a Private Members’ Bill sponsored by the hon. Member for Winchester. The Bill will give the Government powers to prevent the supply of low-welfare pets to the United Kingdom. We will use these powers to prohibit the import of puppies and kittens under six months old, dogs and cats which have been subject to non-exempted mutilations such as cropped ears, docked tails and declawing, and heavily pregnant dogs and cats. We are fully supportive of this Bill and would like to see it pass through both Houses as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to restrict the sale of cats online.

Defra endorses the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) to combat growing concerns regarding the irresponsible advertising of pets for sale, rehoming, and exchange. PAAG has been engaging with online marketplaces in the UK to help them distinguish appropriate adverts from those that should be removed. Defra has also backed a set of Advertising Standards developed by PAAG, which several of the UK’s largest classified websites have agreed to meet.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to increase the age from which puppies can be imported to six months.

The Government recently announced its support for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, a Private Members’ Bill sponsored by the hon. Member for Winchester. The Bill will give the Government powers to prevent the supply of low-welfare pets to the United Kingdom. We will use these powers to prohibit the import of puppies and kittens under six months old, dogs and cats which have been subject to non-exempted mutilations such as cropped ears, docked tails and declawing, and heavily pregnant dogs and cats. We are fully supportive of this Bill and would like to see it pass through both Houses as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the (a) importation and (b) sale of dogs with (i) cropped ears and (ii) docked tails for cosmetic reasons.

The Government recently announced its support for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, a Private Members’ Bill sponsored by the hon. Member for Winchester. The Bill will give the Government powers to prevent the supply of low-welfare pets to the United Kingdom. We will use these powers to prohibit the import of puppies and kittens under six months old, dogs and cats which have been subject to non-exempted mutilations such as cropped ears, docked tails and declawing, and heavily pregnant dogs and cats. We are fully supportive of this Bill and would like to see it pass through both Houses as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to make it a criminal offence to (a) intentionally or (b) recklessly (i) disturb or (ii) harass seals.

Defra’s Marine and Coastal Wildlife Code for England provides advice and guidance to help people visit the coast responsibly and minimise disturbance to marine wildlife, including seals.We continue to consider the evidence for legislative change. This includes the proposals submitted by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to the previous Government for amending the lists of species afforded protection by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, including seals.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to publish a national beaver reintroduction strategy.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Defra will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions and management in England. Further information on this will be published in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to reduce instances of fly-tipping in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

Defra chairs the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG), through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders such as local councils and the Environment Agency to promote good practice on preventing fly-tipping. Various practical tools, including case studies and ‘how to’ guides on key issues such as setting up effective local partnerships, are available from their webpage which is available at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group. We will continue to work with the NFTPG to expand upon these materials.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to introduce a vaccination programme for avian influenza.

The vaccination of poultry and captive birds excluding those in licensed zoos in England against avian influenza is not currently permitted. However, Defra continue to invest in avian influenza research, and we continue to monitor the current situation and vaccine usage both in Europe and globally, as well as the effectiveness of any disease control measures taken, including vaccine development. While avian influenza vaccination will not be a viable option for the 24/25 high risk season, Defra have established a cross-government and industry task force to explore potential for use of vaccination as a preventive measure for avian influenza. The taskforce is due to publish an initial report in late spring and will be issuing a statement shortly to update on its work and the latest situation. Details of Defra’s approach and rational regarding avian influenza vaccination have been published here .

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote tree coverage in (a) the borough of Havering and (b) England.

The Government is working towards the statutory target to reach 16.5% tree canopy and woodland cover in England by 2050. Defra is funding a significant package of grants and supporting activity across England to increase tree coverage. This includes funding a national network of fifteen Community Forests. These Forests are planting thousands of hectares of new trees and woodland in and around our towns and cities providing social, economic and environmental transformation. The Thames Chase Community Forest is one of this network with tree planting sites in Havering.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to stop the accidental poisoning of wildlife.

Defra itself is a principal funder of the National Wildlife Crime Unit which helps prevent and detect unlawful poisoning. Defra also provides funding for England’s Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme which determines the underlying cause of death of wildlife where illegal use of rodenticides is suspected. To help ensure wildlife is not accidentally poisoned, Defra would advise anyone managing rodents to consider a range of effective, alternative methods to rodenticides including elimination of harbourage, food and water. Spring traps and live capture traps are also inexpensive, reusable and widely available.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to prevent the illegal importation of rhino horns.

The UK has strict border controls in place to detect and prevent illegal imports. In 2022, Border Force seized two separate imports of rhino horn originating from China and South Africa. The UK’s National Wildlife Crime Unit also plays a critical role in preventing wildlife crime, including through intelligence work, threat analysis, and by directly assisting law enforcement. Through our Biodiverse Landscape Fund we are working directly with partner Governments in the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, including rhino poaching. We are also investing £30 million between 2022 and 2025 to tackle IWT globally, including through our Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the prevention of illegal rhino poaching.

The UK has strict border controls in place to detect and prevent illegal imports. In 2022, Border Force seized two separate imports of rhino horn originating from China and South Africa. The UK’s National Wildlife Crime Unit also plays a critical role in preventing wildlife crime, including through intelligence work, threat analysis, and by directly assisting law enforcement. Through our Biodiverse Landscape Fund we are working directly with partner Governments in the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, including rhino poaching. We are also investing £30 million between 2022 and 2025 to tackle IWT globally, including through our Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent the practice of badger baiting and associated illegal activities.

The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provide protection against certain methods of killing, injuring, or taking of badgers, or interference with their setts. Badger persecution is one of seven UK Wildlife Crime Priorities, and a UK Badger Persecution Priority Delivery Group is in place. This is police-led and comprises a range of members (including Defra) meeting regularly to tackle horrific offences such as badger baiting, which is rightly illegal in this country.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the conservation of red squirrels.

This Government is committed to taking action to recover our threatened native species and delivering our legally binding biodiversity targets on species abundance, species extinction and habitat creation and restoration, which will benefit many of our priority native species including red squirrels. The leading causes of red squirrel decline in England include the squirrel pox virus, habitat availability and competition from non-native grey squirrels. We are considering how to go further to reduce the impacts of grey squirrels on our woodlands and red squirrel populations and shall have an update in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support (a) wildlife sanctuaries and (b) nature reserves in Essex.

Essex has a total of 64 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, nine Special Protection Areas and seven National Nature Reserves, the majority of which protect the rich coastal habitats of the Essex estuaries. These include some of the country’s most important places for wildlife, particularly for large populations of over wintering wildfowl and wading birds. Working with farmers and landowners, Natural England plays an important role in ensuring these places continue to protect rare and special species. Along with many other organisations, Natural England is also working closely with Essex County Council to help create a Local Nature Recovery Strategy. This important plan will set out where we can best enhance natural habitats, which can also be enjoyed by the people of Essex.

Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) financial and (b) other support his Department is providing to Rainham Marshes.

Rainham Marshes is designated as part of the Inner Thames Marshes Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI) of particular importance for breeding birds, wintering waders and wildfowl. The site also supports several priority habitats. There is currently a five-year Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreement in place with the RSPB on Rainham Marshes. The agreement works towards maintaining favourable condition of the SSSI. Its objective is to maintain and enhance the wet grassland habitat for breeding and non-breeding birds and undertake management for other priority species. Natural England provides advice to RSPB as managers of the SSSI.